MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Junior right-handed pitcher Kaylee Garner tossed a complete game shutout and allowed just one hit and one walk, while a six hit, five-run sixth inning by the Lady Muleriders broke open Friday's NCAA Division II Central Region II winner's bracket final as No. 15 Southern Arkansas topped No. 11 Missouri Western 6-0 to advance to Saturday's sub-regional championship.
 
The Lady Muleriders (48-9) received another stellar outing in the circle as Garner (23-3) pitched SAU into Saturday's final by way of an efficient and quick start that saw the junior average just over 12 pitches an inning, while becoming the first pitcher to blank Missouri Western this season.
 
In 14 innings of Central Region II play, SAU has produced eight runs courtesy of 17 hits, while Garner and game one winner Kimmy Beasley have allowed a combined three hits and a pair of walks.
 
Southern Arkansas struck first in Friday's opener as Darian Harris placed a 1-2 pitch into centerfield for a two-out single that scored Liz Hudgins who led-off the frame with a base hit. Both teams combined to strand just six runners on the day as quality pitching dictated the action through the first five innings.
 
It was the Lady Mulerider offense that would come alive in the sixth inning as Brooke Goad cushioned Garner's outing with a one-out solo homerun off of the right field signage that put SAU up 2-0, and also tied the single-season homerun mark (Dow, 2014) for Goad who now sits at 21 dingers on the season.
 
Harris followed with a single through the right side and Maddie Dow left the yard in a hurry as she collected her 16^th home run of the season in the ensuing at-bat as Southern Arkansas jumped out to a 4-0 lead. A single by Ashton Atwell resulted in the senior reaching third on a two-base fielding error, before an RBI base hit to right field from Tyler Casada plated Atwell and ended Griffons starter Janie Smith's day in the circle.
 
Chelsea Jordan tacked on the final run for Southern Arkansas in the frame with an RBI-single into right field that scored pinch-runner Kim Whelehon to give SAU and Garner a 6-0 lead heading into the seventh inning, where Garner worked around a lead-off walk to force a pop-out and a pair of foul-outs to end the game.
 
Eight players registered a hit led by Harris and Jordan who collected a pair of hits apiece. Dow led with two RBI and four other players added an RBI.
 
Central Region 2 action concludes tomorrow with No. 15 Southern Arkansas awaiting the survivor of the loser's bracket on Friday night for a 1 p.m. Championship Game on Saturday with an "if-necessary" contest to follow.
 
An updated tournament page is available here: http://muleriderathletics.com/sports/2016/5/1/2016-ncaa-dii-softball-central-region-tournament.aspx?path=softball.
 
Be sure to check www.MuleriderAthletics.com or follow us on Twitter @MuleriderSports for the most up-to-date news on Lady Mulerider Softball, including continuing coverage of Southern Arkansas' postseason run.